Steve Crook

From my local paper this week:

Gangs, murder and a media frenzy
The Antiquis killing sounds just like a modern-day headline grabber, but it was a crime which rocked south London in the 1940s. On the 60th anniversary of Alec de Antiquis's death, Matt Watts reports

The story of Alec de Antiquis, a Colliers Wood man murdered on April 29, 1947, became front page news around the world and the photograph of his death captured the iconic symbol of gun crime which threatened to overwhelm post-war Britain.

It was even used in the opening credits to the cult British police film The Blue Lamp.

Antiquis's murder, the great media coverage that surrounded it, and the investigation to bring his killers to justice is now the subject of a new non-fiction book, North Soho 999, by Paul Willetts.

The author says: "There were many gangs on the streets, some of them with very young members. Interestingly they were very much centred around south London, just like today. Some of the gangs like the Elephant Boys, from Elephant and Castle, sound as if they could exist these days.

"Arms were very much linked to the sense of bravado like they are now - people would take them to the pub to show them off," he adds. "I've heard stories that guns were swapped in playgrounds during that period."

Father-of-six Alec de Antiquis ran L and A Motors, a specialist motorcycle garage in the then Colliers Wood High Street, and was in central London looking for spare parts on the day he died.

The 35-year-old was riding his motorbike along Tottenam Street when he saw three masked gunmen making their escape from a jewellers and pawnbrokers they had just robbed. In a bid to prevent them from escaping, Antiquis switched off the motorbike's engine and steered it on a collision course with the robbers.

As he dismounted to confront them, one of the gunmen pointed the gun at him and fired. Mr Antiquis fell to the ground - he died less than 15 minutes later while his killers coldly made their escape.

As the police arrived, press agency photographer Geoffrey Harrison took the famous photograph which focussed he world's attention on gangland London and the murder investigation which ensued.

"Alec de Antiquis was a very brave man," said Mr Willetts. "He'd once risked his life running into a burning building to rescue a stranded child."

Mr Willetts said the ease with which people could obtain guns, many of which were used in the Second World War, is another parallel with the London of today.

He said: "Guns were very readily available, and pretty much anyone could get hold of them for as little as £5 - about £140 nowadays."

In response, he finds it strange when people say London has never faced gun problems like it does now.

"When the police organised a gun amnesty, in a single day more than 18,000 hand guns and 300 machine guns were handed into police stations. The problem was serious.

"There was a big concern among people in the 1940s stemming from the influence of the hugely popular gangster culture presented in American films. The violence and lifestyle they promoted, as with rap music today, was a huge worry."

Mr Antiquis's wife and children, who received the equivalent of £150,000 in public donations following a press campaign, are thought to have stayed, along with Mr Antiquis's mother and brother, in the area for some time.

* North London 999, published by Dewi Lewis, is available to buy now priced at £9.99
Email mail@demilewispublishing.com for more details

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Steve's note: Despite the recent newspaper headlines about a surge in gun crime, the Metropolitan Police statistics give a total of 3,375 gun related crimes in the 12 months to March '07. That's down 11.7% on the previous 12 months. Total homicides in the Met area were 168 in the same 12 months, down 4% on the previous 12 months. Crime overall is at an 8 year low in the Metropolitan area. That covers the whole of Greater London so is dealing with a residential population of about 7.5 million, which is boosted hugely by commuters and tourists.
London is still one of the safest large cities in the world

Steve

ChristineCB

So... what you're saying - since I've been gone, crime's down?!! Hrumph!!

I'm going to go pout for a while. It's true that I mistreat you constantly, but gee, I can't help it! It's a psychotic compulsion of mine! "Collect DVDs" "Harangue Steve" - it's all the same thing in my sick, warped mind.

(And I'm the only sane one here?!!)

Steve Crook

No longer do British judges hear the plea "I was driven to it m'lud. It was that constant haranguing. But I won't offend again as the cause of my trouble has left these shores."



Actually, crime has gone down in the UK since many of us were born.

It's not often mentioned in films or documentaries about the war, but it was a time of very high crime as well as all the other problems like being blown up in your bed.

It's quite well known that there was a very active black market to bypass the strict rationing system. But most people don't follow this through to wonder where everything offered on the black market came from. It's quite simple, they were stolen. Often violently. Goods and rationing coupons were often stolen, by large organised gangs. And of course there was no shortage of weapons available to help the robbers.

Steve

Harleybloke

Jenkins and Geraghty were the young gangsters involved, with the younger brother of one of them. Too young to hang, similar to Chris Craig a few years later, he served a few years. His older brother and the third lad were hanged together, a rare double hanging.

The police caught them very quickly. Tim Spall's recent film 'Pierrepoint' should have covered that and Craig and Bentley, Tim Evans &, Christie and given Ruth Ellis more depth.

Flawed the film for me, that.

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

Nick Dando

given Ruth Ellis more depth.

I thought she had enough when the trap door opened. Did she hit the floor then?

Nick

penfold

People forget, WW2 was when the London gangs first flourished....the Krays, the Richardsons, Frankie Fraser et al learnt their trade and became established while everyone else was looking for evil falling from the skies.....
Not surprisingly, this is rarely mentioned in films at the time...or since for that matter...though IIRC The Bells Go Down has James Mason as a pretty ruthless spiv, albeit redeemed in the Fire Service.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Steve Crook

Close, but no coconut :
James Mason is the regular fireman, who with Finlay Currie has the job of training the volunteers that Mason initially dislikes. Mervyn Johns plays the black marketer, collecting barrels dropped off in the Thames. But he's "doing his bit", serving with the AFS.

I think it was one of the few contemporary films to even mention the black market, let alone actually show any part of it.

Most spivs in film became figures of fun, or even people to be admired.

Steve

tvden

I really must get a grip on myself !!! nearly every time I come on this site and read a thread/post I find I need to add another film to my wanted list in this case The Bells Go Down, my list is getting longer and longer me thinks I now want over 150 titles I only came on here to get a few television programs, if it gets anymore addictive I shall be forced to see a doctor, still its a great site

penfold

Of course...my first thought was that it was Mervyn Johns, but I didn't want to believe that of him...he didn't get many 'Bad boy' roles, did he...way too avuncular.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

ChristineCB

Well, you're no help! You've forced me to add a few myself! SO THERE-!!



I really have to get Smudge, Image, Crook, DB, Pen, Harley, and about 20 or 30 others...

DB7

Indeed, there's so many buried treasures out there and I often find one rare title will lead me to another. As I've a fondness for 50s second-features I simply intend robbing Smudge next time he goes antique hunting.:

Steve Crook

He wasn't really a very mean spiv in The Bells Go Down. He just fished barrels from the river and doged the local copper. When the copper fell in the river, 'Sam' pulled him out with the same boat-hook he used for getting the barrels.

Steve

batman

... a none too avuncular Mervyn Johns in Dead of Night

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Harleybloke

Shocking Gallows humour Nick..................................:

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!